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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. charge — electricity
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. charge — a price
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lie — to recline
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wax — to grow
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. charge — in control
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. shower — rain
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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