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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cap — a hat
  3. net — for catching
  4. rule — a law
  5. chest — of your body
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rule — government
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. chest — a box
  11. cap — a lid
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. net — in sport
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bark — to shout
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. net — after costs
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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