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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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. can — a tin
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chip — to eat
  18. can — to be able to

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