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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: nail · racket · temple · can · bulb · kick · stick · face

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — to point toward
  17. kick — in football
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. face — to confront
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — with a leg

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