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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: wound · leaves · cabinet · temple · present · face · kick · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. present — the time now
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kick — in football
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wound — an injury
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. present — a gift
  19. face — to point toward
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. leaves — of a tree

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