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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. file — a document
  3. mate — to breed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — a partner
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. present — a gift
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. file — a line of people
  18. kick — in football
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. file — a tool
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. present — the time now

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