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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: mate · temple · pit · snap · mark · face · deal · swing

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. snap — to click
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mark — a grade
  6. swing — music
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. swing — to play on
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mark — a trace
  14. face — to confront
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. swing — in golf
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pit — a hole
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mate — a friend
  24. deal — to handle

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