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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. face — part of the head
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. hand — help
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. face — to confront
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bore — to drill
  21. game — a match
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bore — to tire
  24. perch — the fish

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