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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mate — a partner
  7. season — of the year
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mate — to breed
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bulb — for light
  17. toast — bread
  18. season — in sport

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