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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pop — soda
  7. race — humankind
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pop — to visit
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hand — help
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. race — a contest
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hand — in cards
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. race — the arms race

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