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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lie — to recline
  3. face — to confront
  4. field — farmland
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. season — in sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — part of the head
  18. field — a subject
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. field — for sport
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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