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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. staff — employees
  3. field — a subject
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. field — farmland
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fall — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. staff — a stick
  12. row — to paddle
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fall — to drop
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. staff — employees
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. field — for sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. row — a line

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