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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. net — after costs
  8. spring — of water
  9. dip — to sink
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — the season
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. net — for catching
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. spring — a coil
  19. shower — rain
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. net — in sport
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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