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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. snap — to click
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. current — electric
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. board — a committee
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — of ice
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cap — a hat
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. board — to get on
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. board — a flat piece

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