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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rock — a stone
  5. staff — employees
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rock — music
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. capital — money
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. staff — employees
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. season — of the year
  23. toast — bread
  24. capital — a city

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