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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. firm — steady
  3. spell — letters
  4. season — in sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fine — all right
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. firm — decided
  18. rock — music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. firm — a company
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. temple — side of the head

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