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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. row — to paddle
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rash — a series
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. pit — a hole
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — hasty
  18. content — happy
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. row — a line
  21. pit — in a race
  22. content — the amount
  23. roll — a list
  24. rash — on the skin

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