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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ground — crushed
  4. face — to confront
  5. fall — to drop
  6. staff — employees
  7. cell — a phone
  8. branch — a division
  9. fall — the season
  10. rash — a series
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — part of the head
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ground — a position
  18. cell — in biology
  19. face — to point toward
  20. staff — employees
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fall — to drop

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