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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. kick — in football
  8. pit — in a race
  9. sharp — clever
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pit — a hole
  22. game — a match
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. temple — side of the head

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