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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rest — a break
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ground — a position
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. field — for sport
  15. ground — the earth
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ground — crushed
  18. kick — in football
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. field — a subject
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — farmland

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