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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.

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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — to crush
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. band — a music group
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a tool
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rest — a break
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. squash — the sport
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. file — a document
  24. squash — the vegetable

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