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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. face — to point toward
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. shower — rain
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rock — a stone
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bat — the animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — to confront
  19. wound — an injury
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rock — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. nail — on a finger

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