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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. march — music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. can — a tin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cold — not warm
  9. march — the month
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. charge — in control
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cold — an illness
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. march — the month
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pit — in a race
  22. snap — to click
  23. can — a tin
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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