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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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468
Word bank
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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fine — all right
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — a practice
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fine — high quality
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — a tin
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. can — to be able to

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