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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. present — there
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. roll — a list
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. present — a gift
  13. band — a ring
  14. chest — a box
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. band — a music group
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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