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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. suit — in cards
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wind — moving air
  8. scale — in music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. scale — size or range
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. suit — to fit
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wind — moving air
  24. date — the fruit

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