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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. foot — a measure
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stand — to bear
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. game — a match
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. hand — in cards
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hand — help
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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