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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · present · deal · season · saw · temple · mouse · mine

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — of the year
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. season — in sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. present — the time now
  16. saw — the tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. deal — an agreement

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