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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — final
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — hurry
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rush — a thrill

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