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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cue — a hint
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — a signal
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. race — humankind
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. race — a contest
  24. safe — out of danger

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