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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. face — part of the head
  10. season — of the year
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. face — to confront
  14. season — in sport
  15. field — for sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — to wash
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — rain
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bowl — to roll
  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