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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. saw — the tool
  13. toast — bread
  14. saw — the tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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