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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — to breed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mate — a friend

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