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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. net — in sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mate — a partner
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mate — a friend
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. net — for catching
  15. snap — to click
  16. net — after costs
  17. mate — to breed
  18. deal — to handle

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