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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: field · kick · face · mouse · pass · temple · foot · hand

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. foot — a measure
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. hand — help
  9. field — a subject
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. field — for sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. face — to confront
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pass — a permit
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. field — farmland

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