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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hand — help
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. staff — employees
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. staff — employees
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hand — in cards
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. temple — a place of worship

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