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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — the time now
  4. shower — rain
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. present — there
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. shower — to wash
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cap — of ice

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