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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — in football
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. court — for sport
  8. suit — clothes
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fall — to drop
  11. face — to confront
  12. lean — thin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kick — a thrill

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