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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. row — a line
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. key — for a lock
  15. drill — a practice
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. key — in music
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. drill — army training
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mark — a grade
  24. row — to paddle

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