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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tear — from crying
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tear — to rip
  6. current — of water
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mark — a trace
  9. squash — the sport
  10. court — for sport
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. court — of law
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tear — from crying
  17. court — of a king
  18. rash — hasty
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. current — electric
  22. rash — a series
  23. mark — a grade
  24. current — happening now

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