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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mate — a partner
  4. march — the month
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. march — the month
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rule — government
  16. mate — a friend
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rule — a law
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ground — crushed
  22. branch — a division
  23. march — music
  24. branch — of a bank

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