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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. row — to paddle
  3. spring — of water
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — the season
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cap — a hat
  11. race — humankind
  12. fall — to drop
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cap — of ice
  20. spring — a coil
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. spring — the season
  24. can — to be able to

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