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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — a lid
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cap — a hat
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. board — a committee
  16. land — a country
  17. board — to get on
  18. cap — of ice
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chair — a leader
  23. scale — in music
  24. chair — a professorship

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