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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. snap — to click
  5. rash — a series
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cell — in biology
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rash — hasty
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bass — low music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

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