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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chest — a box
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. staff — employees
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. dip — to sink
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. chest — of your body
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. temple — a place of worship

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