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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spell — magic
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cold — an illness
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — a short time
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. plane — a tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — letters
  19. cold — not warm
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — in football
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. key — for a lock
  24. plane — in geometry

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