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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pit — a hole
  5. kick — in football
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mug — a face
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mug — to rob
  18. deal — to handle
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mug — a cup
  21. net — for catching
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. kick — a thrill
  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