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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. race — humankind
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spring — the season
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bear — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spring — of water
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. shower — rain

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