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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. shower — to wash
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fine — high quality
  12. lie — to recline
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fork — in a road
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. shower — rain
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. scale — in music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — size or range

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