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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mark — a grade
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cold — not warm

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