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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: toast · kick · track · land · mine · face · temple · court

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. face — to point toward
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — to keep track
  5. face — part of the head
  6. toast — bread
  7. court — of a king
  8. kick — in football
  9. face — to confront
  10. land — ground
  11. track — a path
  12. mine — for digging
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. track — a song
  15. land — a country
  16. court — of law
  17. land — to come down
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. court — for sport

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