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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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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: straw · face · kick · temple · mine · ruler · scale · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. scale — size or range
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. face — to confront
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. scale — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. kick — in football
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to point toward
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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