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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rest — a break
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rash — a series
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bulb — for light
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wound — an injury

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