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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. net — after costs
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fork — in a road
  13. can — to be able to
  14. net — for catching
  15. can — a tin
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wound — an injury
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mark — a grade
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. mark — a trace
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mark — to pay attention

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