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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. land — to come down
  4. squash — the sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. saw — the tool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. key — the most important part
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. squash — to crush
  14. key — for a lock
  15. land — ground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — in music
  18. land — a country
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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