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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. last — finally
  4. dip — to sink
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. land — ground
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. chest — a box
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — final
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. last — to go on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cell — in biology
  24. chest — of your body

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