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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. net — in sport
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. toast — bread
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. tube — the underground
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. net — after costs
  22. tube — a container
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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