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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fine — all right
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cell — in biology
  11. track — a song
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. chest — a box
  15. fine — high quality
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. key — in music
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cell — a phone

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