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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pop — soda
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pop — music
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rock — a stone
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rock — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pop — to visit
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. drill — army training

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