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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pass — a permit
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — soda
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. dip — to sink
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — a measure
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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