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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. swing — to play on
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. toast — bread
  6. kick — in football
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. swing — music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tube — a container
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. shower — to wash
  19. swing — in golf
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — rain

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