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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. pop — soda
  5. mate — a partner
  6. staff — a stick
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. scale — size or range
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. staff — employees
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pop — to visit
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mate — to breed
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. staff — employees
  24. scale — in music

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