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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chest — of your body
  3. dip — to sink
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chest — a box
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cue — a signal
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rash — a series
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. season — of the year
  18. mine — for digging
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. season — in sport
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. season — to add flavour

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