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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · nail · temple · season · board · saw · cell · pitch

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. board — to get on
  9. mine — for digging
  10. saw — the tool
  11. season — in sport
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pitch — completely
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. season — of the year
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cell — a phone
  24. temple — side of the head

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