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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. net — in sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wound — an injury
  13. net — after costs
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. snap — to click
  16. pop — soda
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pop — to visit
  19. net — for catching
  20. pass — a permit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pop — music

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