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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. key — the most important part
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rest — a break
  5. cap — a hat
  6. net — for catching
  7. rest — what's left
  8. net — after costs
  9. current — of water
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rest — what's left
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. net — in sport
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. current — electric
  17. cap — a lid
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. cap — of ice
  22. current — happening now
  23. rock — a stone
  24. row — a line

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