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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rock — music
  5. track — a song
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mug — a face
  9. file — a document
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rock — a stone
  12. file — a line of people
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. race — humankind
  15. track — to keep track
  16. file — a tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. race — a contest
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mug — a cup
  21. race — the arms race
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. track — a path

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