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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pop — music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. firm — a company
  6. pop — to visit
  7. firm — decided
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. firm — steady
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bore — to tire
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pop — soda
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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