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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chest — of your body
  3. branch — a division
  4. suit — clothes
  5. chest — of your body
  6. tube — a container
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chest — a box
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. suit — in cards

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