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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lie — to recline
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. date — the fruit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  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