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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. track — to keep track
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a song
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. clip — to cut
  18. track — a path
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — a break

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