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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stand — to bear
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chest — of your body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. game — wild animals
  24. patient — a sick person

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