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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mark — a grade
  3. swing — to play on
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pit — a hole
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. land — ground
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. swing — music
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pit — in a race
  22. tube — a container
  23. mark — a trace
  24. temple — side of the head

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