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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mug — a cup
  8. last — final
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mug — to rob
  16. last — finally
  17. face — to confront
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. last — to go on
  22. kick — in football
  23. face — to point toward
  24. foot — a measure

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