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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stock — goods
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. face — part of the head
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — thin
  12. face — to confront
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stock — shares
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pop — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pop — to visit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — side of the head

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