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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rock — music
  6. roll — a list
  7. kid — child
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kid — to tease
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a match
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. roll — a cake
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. rock — to move gently

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