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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. present — there
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. present — the time now
  12. bear — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spring — the season
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spring — of water
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. present — a gift
  24. stock — a soup base

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