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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kick — in football
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. firm — steady
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. season — of the year
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. season — in sport
  20. rock — a stone
  21. firm — a company
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. firm — decided

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