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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — a break
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — in music
  9. capital — money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lean — thin
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mate — a friend
  21. capital — a city
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mate — to breed

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