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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. club — for golf
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — a series
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wound — an injury
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cabinet — ministers

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