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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pop — music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. snap — to click
  22. last — final
  23. scale — size or range
  24. nail — for a hammer

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