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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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. coach — a trainer
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. kick — in football
  8. squash — the sport
  9. last — final
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. hand — in cards
  12. last — finally
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — to crush
  21. last — to go on
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. toast — bread
  24. temple — a place of worship

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