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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. face — to point toward
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — to confront
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — part of the head
  24. game — a match

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