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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. sharp — clever
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mine — for digging
  6. prune — to trim
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. deal — to handle
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. foot — a measure
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. sharp — exactly

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