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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cell — in biology
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. sharp — clever
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. march — music
  14. fork — in a road
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. march — the month
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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