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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ground — the earth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. season — in sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wake — a trail
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — of the year
  15. ground — a position
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ground — crushed
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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