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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — to recline
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mate — a partner
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a friend
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mate — to breed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — a supporter

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