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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. shower — rain
  3. spring — the season
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spring — of water
  7. chair — a leader
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. season — in sport
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. current — electric
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spring — a coil
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. season — of the year
  21. current — happening now
  22. sharp — clever
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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