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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. spell — magic
  4. rest — what's left
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. land — to come down
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. land — ground
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. spell — letters
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. land — a country
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. toast — bread
  23. staff — employees
  24. bat — the animal

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