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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. present — a gift
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — soda
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — there
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pop — to visit

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