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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. roll — a list
  10. mark — a grade
  11. object — to protest
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. object — an aim
  20. mark — a trace
  21. land — ground
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. object — a thing
  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