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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. root — the cause
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. root — of a word
  17. wound — an injury
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ball — a dance

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