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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: lean · temple · toast · kick · chest · mark · dip · spring

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mark — a grade
  3. kick — in football
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chest — a box
  7. toast — bread
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. spring — of water
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. spring — the season
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lean — thin
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. dip — a sauce

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