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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chest — of your body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chest — a box
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. cell — a phone
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chest — of your body

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