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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. court — of a king
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. court — for sport
  6. ground — a position
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — crushed
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. spell — letters
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — the earth
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. spell — magic
  16. court — of law
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. lie — an untruth

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