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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. march — the month
  6. face — to point toward
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wake — a trail
  10. saw — the tool
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. charge — in control
  14. march — the month
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. face — to confront
  18. saw — the tool
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. charge — a price
  21. kick — in football
  22. march — music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. charge — electricity

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