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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. face — part of the head
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — a trail
  8. face — to point toward
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. club — for golf
  12. degree — an amount
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kick — in football
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. land — a country
  18. club — for dancing
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. land — to come down
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. club — a group
  24. face — to confront

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