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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. season — of the year
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — an amount
  10. season — in sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rest — a break
  14. cell — a phone
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rash — a series
  24. rest — what's left

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