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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · kid · swing · trunk · roll · sharp · net · temple

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. swing — to play on
  8. roll — a list
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. swing — music
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. roll — a cake
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — clever
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. face — to confront
  22. net — in sport
  23. swing — in golf
  24. sharp — exactly

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