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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mine — for digging
  4. court — of a king
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lie — an untruth

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