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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. kick — in football
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. current — happening now
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a great time
  16. current — electric
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. current — of water
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. row — a line

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