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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fine — all right
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. tear — from crying
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. toast — bread
  16. fine — high quality
  17. face — part of the head
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. charge — in control
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. face — to confront
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. tear — to rip

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