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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. game — wild animals
  3. present — a gift
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. row — to paddle
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. present — the time now
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. row — a line
  17. kick — in football
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. foot — a measure
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stand — to bear
  22. game — a match
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. jam — in traffic

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