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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rush — hurry
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chip — for betting
  6. hand — in cards
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — size or range
  13. hand — help
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. scale — in music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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