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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. face — part of the head
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. face — to confront
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kid — to tease
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pit — in a race
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. arm — part of the body

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