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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. band — a music group
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. root — of a plant
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. root — of a word
  16. bore — to drill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. root — the cause
  20. band — a ring
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. track — to keep track

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