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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. band — a music group
  8. court — of law
  9. band — a ring
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. court — of a king
  13. sharp — clever
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. court — for sport
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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