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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lean — thin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. net — in sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. net — for catching
  10. spell — magic
  11. net — after costs
  12. spell — letters
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lean — to bend
  16. spell — a short time
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mine — belonging to me

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