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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ground — the earth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ground — a position
  15. present — a gift
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wax — to grow
  18. face — to confront
  19. present — the time now
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — to pay attention

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