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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. face — to point toward
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spell — magic
  11. row — a line
  12. face — part of the head
  13. kick — in football
  14. bound — certain
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spell — letters
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bound — tied together

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