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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ball — a dance
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. present — there
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — final
  16. present — the time now
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stand — to bear
  22. present — a gift
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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