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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. file — a document
  7. stand — to bear
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. file — a line of people
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. last — final
  17. file — a tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — to get on
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. board — a committee

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