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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. key — for a lock
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. race — the arms race
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. snap — to click
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. key — in music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. key — the most important part
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. foot — a measure

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