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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pit — a hole
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a music group
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pit — in a race
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — to bear
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. band — a ring
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. kid — child
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hide — animal skin

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