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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. drill — army training
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. net — after costs
  5. kick — in football
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mate — to breed
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mate — a partner
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. scale — size or range
  12. drill — the tool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — in music
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. net — for catching
  19. mate — a friend
  20. drill — a practice
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. net — in sport
  24. temple — a place of worship

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