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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rock — music
  4. land — to come down
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. land — ground
  15. mate — to breed
  16. land — a country
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rock — a stone
  19. season — in sport
  20. mate — a partner
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. season — of the year
  24. rock — to move gently

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