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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fork — in a road
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. march — the month
  6. rush — hurry
  7. band — a music group
  8. march — music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. firm — a company
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. firm — steady
  16. march — the month
  17. band — a ring
  18. fine — high quality
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fine — all right
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. band — a rubber band

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