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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wind — moving air
  11. club — a group
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wind — moving air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — to sink
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. club — for golf
  24. temple — a place of worship

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