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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. kick — in football
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — of your body
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. board — a committee
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chest — a box
  20. toast — bread
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chest — of your body
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wax — for sculpting

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