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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 124 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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. chip — in a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chip — to eat
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. firm — decided
  8. capital — money
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. capital — a city
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — steady
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — a company
  17. chip — for betting
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rest — what's left
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rest — what's left

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