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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — a cup
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tear — to rip
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mug — a face
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. temple — a place of worship

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