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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · bat · rest · temple · rush · bound · scale · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bound — tied together
  3. scale — in music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bat — the animal
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bound — certain
  19. rest — a break
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bound — obliged
  23. scale — size or range
  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