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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. chip — to eat
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wake — a trail
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. face — to confront
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. chip — for betting
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. face — to point toward
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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