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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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. bat — for baseball
  4. club — a group
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lie — to recline
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fine — all right
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bat — the animal

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