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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — rain
  5. mark — a trace
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mark — a grade
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. saw — the tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. row — to paddle
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. date — the fruit
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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