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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. face — to point toward
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bound — tied together
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bound — certain
  13. kick — in football
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wax — to grow
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — a horse colour

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