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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: lean · club · pop · face · hide · temple · kid · rest

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — thin
  3. club — a group
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — child
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rest — a break
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kid — to tease
  15. club — for golf
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — to bend
  20. face — to confront
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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