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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. face — to confront
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. pit — a hole
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. dip — to sink
  8. field — for sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spring — a coil
  14. ground — the earth
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ground — a position
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. face — part of the head
  20. spring — of water
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — the season
  23. face — to point toward
  24. temple — side of the head

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