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

Word bank: temple · net · object · snap · club · march · bear · nail

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bear — the animal
  3. object — to protest
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. club — for golf
  8. net — after costs
  9. snap — to click
  10. net — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. object — a thing
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — a group
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. object — an aim

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