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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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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — happening now
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. lie — to recline
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. game — wild animals
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. game — a match

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