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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rest — a break
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ground — the earth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rest — what's left
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — a position
  14. rest — what's left
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. vault — a safe
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. ground — crushed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. temple — a place of worship

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