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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. last — to go on
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pass — a permit
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rock — a stone
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rock — music
  15. last — finally
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. last — final
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chest — of your body
  24. temple — side of the head

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