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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. track — a song
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pound — a weight
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. track — a path
  24. temple — a place of worship

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