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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. field — farmland
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cap — a lid

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