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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pop — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — a break
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mug — to rob
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mug — a face
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bear — the animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mug — a cup
  24. temple — side of the head

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