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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. present — there
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cue — a signal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — a lid
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chest — a box
  15. fine — all right
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cap — of ice
  22. present — a gift
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. leaves — lets stay

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