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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pit — in a race
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. root — the cause
  18. key — in music
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. clip — to cut
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pit — a hole

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