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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.

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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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