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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. spring — the season
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. current — happening now
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. march — the month
  9. spring — of water
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. current — of water
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. march — the month
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — electric
  20. march — music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. arm — part of the body

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