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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. key — the most important part
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. face — to confront
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pit — a hole
  13. band — a ring
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. face — part of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lean — to bend
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. chip — to eat
  21. band — a music group
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lean — thin

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