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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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Word bank
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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: foot · rest · bound · temple · sharp · ball · ground · tear

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bound — certain
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — clever
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. tear — from crying
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — a position
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ground — crushed
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ground — the earth
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. foot — a measure
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. tear — from crying

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