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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 124 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. board — a committee
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ground — a position
  9. bat — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hand — in cards
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. can — to be able to
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — help
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. board — to get on

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