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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. chip — for betting
  3. kick — in football
  4. track — a path
  5. craft — a skill
  6. face — to confront
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chip — to eat
  9. can — to be able to
  10. face — to point toward
  11. craft — boats
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. face — part of the head
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. roll — a list
  22. track — a song
  23. roll — a cake
  24. track — to keep track

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