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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chair — a leader
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — in a race
  13. firm — decided
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pass — a permit
  16. firm — a company
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. firm — steady
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. temple — a place of worship

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