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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ground — the earth
  5. game — wild animals
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — there
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. game — a match
  14. ground — crushed
  15. present — the time now
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. present — a gift
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ground — a position
  24. pass — to succeed

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