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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chair — a leader
  15. net — for catching
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stem — to come from
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chair — a professorship

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