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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — to get on
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. club — for golf
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — a committee
  20. club — a group
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. sharp — clever

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