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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chest — of your body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mug — a face
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. season — in sport
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chest — a box
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mug — a cup
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rest — what's left
  24. jam — in traffic

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