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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mate — a partner
  5. chest — a box
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wound — an injury
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — of your body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — bread
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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