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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: kick · land · safe · last · temple · date · bark · face

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — the fruit
  5. last — to go on
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. kick — in football
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. last — finally
  12. land — to come down
  13. bark — to shout
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. face — to confront
  16. land — ground
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. last — final
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. land — a country
  21. face — to point toward
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. face — part of the head

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