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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. face — to point toward
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. field — a subject
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bear — the animal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. face — part of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. face — to confront
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. field — farmland
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. field — for sport

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