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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. band — a ring
  4. roll — a list
  5. hand — help
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hand — in cards
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. band — a music group
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bear — the animal
  20. snap — to click
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. roll — on a roll

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