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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · foot · net · temple · deal · mate

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mate — a partner
  4. deal — to handle
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. face — to point toward
  8. net — for catching
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — to confront
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. net — after costs
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — a friend
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. face — part of the head
  18. net — in sport

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