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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. firm — a company
  4. rush — hurry
  5. track — a path
  6. firm — decided
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. firm — steady
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. object — to protest
  16. track — to keep track
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. object — a thing
  20. game — a match
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. track — a song
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. object — an aim

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