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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. swing — in golf
  5. kick — in football
  6. rash — a series
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chest — a box
  11. court — of a king
  12. chest — of your body
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. swing — to play on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rash — hasty
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. swing — music
  22. season — of the year
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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