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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stock — shares
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. march — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — goods
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hand — help
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. game — a match
  18. march — the month
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rush — to hurry
  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