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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bank — of a river
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mate — a friend
  15. toast — bread
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bank — for money
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mate — a partner
  22. kick — in football
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bank — for money

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