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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rest — what's left
  5. race — a contest
  6. fall — the season
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fall — to drop
  10. board — a committee
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. race — humankind
  14. rest — a break
  15. board — to get on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tear — to rip

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