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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. drill — army training
  6. suit — in cards
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. press — a publisher
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. spring — the season
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spring — of water
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bat — the animal
  18. spring — a coil
  19. press — to push
  20. suit — clothes
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. drill — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — to fit

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