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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. race — the arms race
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. spring — of water
  7. net — for catching
  8. mine — for digging
  9. toast — bread
  10. net — after costs
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. spring — the season
  17. snap — to click
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. net — in sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spring — a coil

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