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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. net — for catching
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. mate — a friend
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — in football
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mate — a partner
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fine — high quality
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. dip — to sink
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. net — after costs
  19. mate — to breed
  20. scale — in music
  21. net — in sport
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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