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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cue — for pool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. press — to push
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. press — newspapers
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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