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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mug — to rob
  3. swing — to play on
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pop — soda
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — music
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mug — a cup
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. row — a line
  14. swing — music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mug — a face
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pop — to visit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. row — to paddle
  24. trunk — of a car

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