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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. net — after costs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. track — a path
  8. object — to protest
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. current — happening now
  15. track — to keep track
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — of water
  18. track — a song
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. object — a thing
  21. kick — in football
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. object — an aim
  24. current — electric

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