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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. current — electric
  3. vault — a safe
  4. net — after costs
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wind — moving air
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — happening now
  9. stock — goods
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. net — in sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — for catching
  16. pit — a hole
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. current — of water
  19. stock — shares
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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