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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. firm — a company
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. firm — steady
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lie — to recline
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pit — in a race
  21. firm — decided
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. field — for sport

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