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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fine — all right
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fine — high quality
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tear — to rip
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chair — a leader
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pop — music

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