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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. last — finally
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fine — all right
  10. last — to go on
  11. chest — of your body
  12. club — for golf
  13. last — final
  14. chest — a box
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. club — a group
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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