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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. bound — obliged
  4. press — newspapers
  5. net — after costs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — a publisher
  8. net — for catching
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bound — tied together
  13. press — to push
  14. bound — certain
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. net — in sport
  24. cap — a lid

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