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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — to go on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. last — finally
  7. club — for golf
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — for dancing
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kick — in football
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — to confront
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. last — final
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. club — a group
  21. rest — a break
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. face — part of the head
  24. coach — a trainer

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