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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ball — a great time
  3. root — of a word
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — the cause
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bear — to put up with

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