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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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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: temple · mate · chest · safe · game · tear · fine · nail

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mate — to breed
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — wild animals
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chest — a box
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fine — all right
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mate — a partner

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