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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rest — a break
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — the tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — size or range
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. charge — in control
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. shower — rain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — a price
  23. cue — a hint
  24. charge — electricity

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