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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cue — a signal
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pit — a hole
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pit — in a race
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. row — to paddle
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. shower — to wash
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spring — of water
  24. shower — rain

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