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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spring — the season
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. last — finally
  13. spring — of water
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fine — high quality
  18. last — final
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. sharp — with an edge

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