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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wake — a trail
  4. tube — a container
  5. mine — for digging
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. dip — to sink
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tube — the underground

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