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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pit — a hole
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral

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