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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pop — music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. root — of a word
  5. face — to point toward
  6. branch — a division
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mug — a face
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. court — of law
  11. face — to confront
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. net — in sport
  14. face — part of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. net — after costs
  17. court — of a king
  18. mug — a cup
  19. net — for catching
  20. pop — to visit
  21. court — for sport
  22. root — the cause
  23. pop — soda
  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