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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. club — a group
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — a law
  8. rash — hasty
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. rule — government
  14. rash — a series
  15. rush — hurry
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. club — for golf
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. arm — part of the body

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