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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chest — a box
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — to point toward
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rash — hasty
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chest — of your body
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. can — a tin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — a series

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