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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. chest — of your body
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. key — in music
  7. chest — a box
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. firm — steady
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — in cards
  14. firm — decided
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. suit — to fit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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