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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kick — in football
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. row — to paddle
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. charge — a price
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. row — a line
  15. mine — for digging
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ground — the earth
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ground — a position
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. charge — electricity

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