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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. club — for golf
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wind — moving air
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cap — a lid
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cap — a hat
  15. club — a group
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pit — in a race
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pit — a hole
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bowl — a dish
  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