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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wound — an injury
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fall — the season
  5. track — to keep track
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fall — to drop
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. track — a song
  18. deal — to handle
  19. race — humankind
  20. chip — to eat
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. pit — a hole
  24. track — a path

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