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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. roll — a list
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — clothes
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. season — in sport
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. kick — in football
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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