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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ball — a great time
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — a grade
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mark — a trace
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. key — in music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ball — a dance
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wind — moving air
  24. deal — to handle

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