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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lean — thin
  3. rock — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rock — a stone
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. toast — bread
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bulb — for light

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