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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cell — in biology
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rest — a break
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. root — the cause
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rest — what's left

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