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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. face — to point toward
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hand — in cards
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. track — a song
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. kick — in football
  10. bound — tied together
  11. face — to confront
  12. hand — help
  13. face — part of the head
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bound — certain
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. track — a path
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kick — a thrill

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