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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. hand — in cards
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ground — the earth
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. game — wild animals
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — a match
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hand — help
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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