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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. pop — music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitch — completely
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chest — a box
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pop — soda
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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