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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. hand — help
  8. press — newspapers
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. roll — a list
  11. face — part of the head
  12. press — to push
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to point toward
  15. roll — a cake
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to confront
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hand — in cards
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pit — a hole

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