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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rush — hurry
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. foot — a measure
  6. firm — steady
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bat — the animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. foot — the bottom
  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