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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. deal — to handle
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — hasty
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. march — the month
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rock — music
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. march — music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rash — a series
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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