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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. craft — boats
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. land — to come down
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a ring
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. land — ground
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — a skill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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