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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. hand — help
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mark — a grade
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. squash — to crush
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. row — a line
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — a trace
  20. row — to paddle
  21. hand — in cards
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  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