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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. march — music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. club — for golf
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rest — a break
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. mine — for digging

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