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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rush — hurry
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rash — a series
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rock — music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rash — hasty
  24. straw — dry grass

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