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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 stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. row — a line
  5. rule — government
  6. pop — to visit
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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