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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — of a word
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chest — of your body
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chest — a box
  24. foot — a measure

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