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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.

Make a worksheet

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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bound — obliged
  5. date — the fruit
  6. spring — a coil
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bound — tied together
  10. kick — in football
  11. bound — certain
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. game — a match
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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