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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. tube — the underground
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pop — soda
  14. foot — a measure
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pop — music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mate — a friend
  19. tube — a container
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mate — a partner
  24. tube — in a tire

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