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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. race — the arms race
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. race — humankind
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fine — all right
  21. chest — a box
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. race — a contest
  24. kick — with a leg

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