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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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 rubber band
  3. rest — a break
  4. band — a ring
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pit — in a race
  10. drill — the tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. land — a country
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. drill — a practice
  15. land — ground
  16. suit — to fit
  17. band — a music group
  18. drill — army training
  19. stand — to bear
  20. land — to come down
  21. pit — a hole
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rest — what's left
  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