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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cold — an illness
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. present — there
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cold — not warm
  19. stand — to bear
  20. present — a gift
  21. rest — what's left
  22. present — the time now
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. safe — a strongbox

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