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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. race — the arms race
  5. key — in music
  6. content — happy
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — humankind
  13. date — the fruit
  14. face — part of the head
  15. key — the most important part
  16. face — to confront
  17. key — for a lock
  18. face — to point toward
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. deal — to handle
  22. content — the amount
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. race — a contest

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