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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rest — a break
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. board — a committee
  11. chest — a box
  12. board — to get on
  13. chest — of your body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. game — wild animals
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. sharp — exactly

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