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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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 — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. land — to come down
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. land — a country
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. land — ground
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stand — to bear

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