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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. toast — bread
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. drill — a practice
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chest — of your body
  8. kick — in football
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. face — to confront
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. chest — of your body
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. content — happy
  21. face — part of the head
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. staff — employees
  24. chest — a box

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