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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — of water
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. face — to confront
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. current — electric
  12. stem — to come from
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. face — part of the head
  19. current — happening now
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. face — to point toward
  23. kid — to tease
  24. coach — a trainer

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