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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cap — a lid
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spring — the season
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cap — of ice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. drill — the tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. drill — army training
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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