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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. firm — a company
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. sharp — clever
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. saw — the tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. foot — a measure

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