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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — to trim
  8. track — a song
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. track — a path
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fan — a supporter

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