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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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 — to visit
  3. cap — a hat
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pop — music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hand — help
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pop — soda
  19. cap — a lid
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. temple — side of the head

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