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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pop — music
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. pop — soda
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — to visit
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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