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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 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pitch — completely
  3. current — of water
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — electric
  7. rash — hasty
  8. spring — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. spring — a coil
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — a series
  15. spring — the season
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitch — a sports field

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