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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cold — an illness
  3. present — the time now
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. drill — a practice
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. swing — in golf
  8. plane — a tool
  9. swing — music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. swing — to play on
  14. drill — army training
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. present — a gift
  19. drill — the tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — to trim
  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