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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. firm — decided
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. staff — a stick
  8. firm — steady
  9. scale — size or range
  10. chest — a box
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — a company
  14. scale — in music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. staff — employees
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fork — in a road
  24. staff — employees

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