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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wind — moving air
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bear — the animal

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