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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. march — the month
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — music
  7. march — music
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lie — to recline
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pop — soda
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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