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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fall — the season
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chip — to eat
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. club — for golf
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. club — a group
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wind — moving air
  23. hand — help
  24. hide — to keep secret

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