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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. band — a ring
  3. season — in sport
  4. band — a music group
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. object — to protest
  8. court — for sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. bore — to tire
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. court — of a king
  15. bore — to drill
  16. board — to get on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. pit — a hole
  22. court — of law
  23. board — a committee
  24. bore — gave birth

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