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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. net — in sport
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. kick — in football
  8. dip — to sink
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. scale — size or range
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. net — after costs
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. net — for catching
  20. rush — hurry
  21. scale — in music
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pit — in a race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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