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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chest — a box
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cap — a hat
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a lid
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rock — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. toast — bread
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cap — of ice

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