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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.

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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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rest — what's left
  3. track — a path
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. can — a tin
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chest — a box
  22. rest — a break
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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