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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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. present — there
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. present — the time now
  6. pass — a permit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. present — a gift
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kid — child
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. snap — to click
  18. dip — to sink
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. kid — to tease

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