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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: temple · hand · foot · face · bay · net · leaves · pitcher

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. face — to confront
  3. net — for catching
  4. face — part of the head
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. net — after costs
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. face — to point toward
  24. net — in sport

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