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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rush — hurry
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. mate — a partner
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. season — in sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. season — of the year
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mate — to breed
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mate — a friend
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. dip — to sink

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