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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pop — soda
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. bore — to tire
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. suit — to fit
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — the underground
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bore — to drill
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pop — to visit
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. face — part of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — music

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