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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. tear — to rip
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rock — a stone
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. season — in sport
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. toast — bread
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. season — of the year
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rock — music
  24. prune — to trim

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