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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pop — soda
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pop — music
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. shower — rain
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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