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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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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: rock · face · kid · racket · temple · rest · trunk · snap

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kid — child
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rock — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rest — what's left
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. snap — to click
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. face — to confront
  23. rest — a break
  24. kid — to tease

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