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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. sharp — clever
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rock — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. snap — to click
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — a stone
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bowl — a dish

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