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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cold — not warm
  3. club — a group
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. kick — in football
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. present — the time now
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. present — a gift
  17. cold — an illness
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. fork — a garden tool

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