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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. present — a gift
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chest — a box
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. march — the month
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. present — the time now
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — there
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. march — music
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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