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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — happening now
  5. capital — money
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pit — a hole
  12. current — of water
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. last — final
  16. squash — to crush
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pit — in a race
  22. capital — a city
  23. current — electric
  24. tube — a container

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