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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. band — a music group
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — an aim
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. march — music
  8. staff — employees
  9. object — a thing
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. foot — a measure
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. object — to protest
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. march — the month
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ground — crushed
  19. march — the month
  20. band — a ring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wind — moving air

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