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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — employees
  6. net — in sport
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. kid — to tease
  16. staff — a stick
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kid — child
  21. dip — to sink
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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