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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. toast — bread
  6. bound — obliged
  7. spring — the season
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bound — certain
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bound — tied together
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spring — of water
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — all right
  22. spring — a coil
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. toast — the most admired

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