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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pit — a hole
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. scale — in music
  9. track — a song
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. track — a path
  13. current — of water
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. scale — size or range
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fall — the season
  20. wax — to grow
  21. current — electric
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pit — in a race
  24. current — happening now

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