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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. spell — magic
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hand — help
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pass — a permit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spell — letters
  24. hand — 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