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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.

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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. squash — to crush
  10. season — of the year
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rest — a break

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