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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a music group
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. object — to protest
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. object — an aim
  10. rest — a break
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. object — a thing
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — what's left
  15. band — a ring
  16. toast — bread
  17. bulb — for light
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. saw — the tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. saw — the tool

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