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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. club — for golf
  13. kick — in football
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rest — a break
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — what's left

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