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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. firm — decided
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. present — the time now
  6. scale — in music
  7. spell — letters
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. firm — a company
  11. scale — size or range
  12. spell — magic
  13. hand — in cards
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. tube — a container
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. firm — steady
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. present — there
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. present — a gift
  22. tube — the underground
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rush — hurry

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