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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.

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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. fine — all right
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mate — a friend
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. march — music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. drill — a practice
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. drill — army training
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  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