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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. game — wild animals
  3. file — a tool
  4. tube — the underground
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. file — a line of people
  9. last — finally
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a document
  12. last — to go on
  13. tube — a container
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. last — final
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. game — a match
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fan — a supporter

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