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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mark — a grade
  3. kick — in football
  4. season — in sport
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. face — to confront
  8. rush — hurry
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. board — a committee
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. season — of the year
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mark — a trace
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. board — to get on
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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