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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rash — a series
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ball — a great time
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitch — completely
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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