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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pass — a permit
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. track — to keep track
  24. temple — a place of worship

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