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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: rash · face · foot · rush · ground · hand · temple · dip

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. foot — a measure
  3. ground — a position
  4. dip — to sink
  5. face — part of the head
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. face — to confront
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hand — help
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ground — crushed
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ground — the earth
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rash — hasty
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rash — a series
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hand — in cards

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