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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. rock — to move gently
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spell — magic
  9. bear — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. shower — to wash
  12. toast — bread
  13. rock — music
  14. spell — letters
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rock — a stone
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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