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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. club — a group
  18. bay — a horse colour

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