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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mug — a face
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. row — a line
  23. spell — letters
  24. mug — a cup

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