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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. scale — in music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. court — of a king
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pound — a weight
  14. scale — size or range
  15. court — of law
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. chip — to eat
  22. court — for sport
  23. chest — a box
  24. pound — to hit hard

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