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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. season — in sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — a permit
  12. season — of the year
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. present — a gift
  22. shower — rain
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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