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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ball — a great time
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rest — a break
  9. bulb — for light
  10. clip — for paper
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. clip — a video
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com