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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pitch — completely
  7. capital — money
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rock — music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — a city
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chest — a box
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. temple — a place of worship

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