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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rest — a break
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. present — there
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. court — of a king
  8. rest — what's left
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — the time now
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — in a race
  13. court — of law
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pit — a hole
  23. court — for sport
  24. stem — a stem cell

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