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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. last — finally
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mug — a face
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bass — low music
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mug — to rob
  13. last — final
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stem — to come from
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. last — to go on
  24. temple — side of the head

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