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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. kid — to tease
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. march — music
  6. current — of water
  7. march — the month
  8. pitch — completely
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. march — the month
  21. kid — child
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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