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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. foot — a measure
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. field — for sport
  8. mate — to breed
  9. face — to confront
  10. fork — in a road
  11. field — a subject
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. present — there
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. field — farmland
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fork — to eat with
  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