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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pitch — completely
  3. spell — magic
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pit — in a race
  11. spell — a short time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. spell — letters
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. band — a ring
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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