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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mark — a trace
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bear — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wind — moving air
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hand — help
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. kick — in football

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