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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. current — of water
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. current — happening now
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — in sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pit — a hole
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. current — electric
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. foot — part of the body

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