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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. scale — in music
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cue — a signal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. scale — size or range
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bear — the animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. mark — a grade
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mark — to pay attention

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