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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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. season — to add flavour
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. season — of the year
  7. spring — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rule — government
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. season — in sport
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rule — a law
  21. spring — the season
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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