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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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 — a place of worship
  3. ball — a great time
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. ball — a dance
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bat — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spell — a short time
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. spell — letters
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. spell — magic
  20. bank — of a river
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. nail — on a finger

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