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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mark — a trace
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mate — to breed
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wind — moving air
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mark — a grade
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. staff — employees
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pitcher — a jug

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