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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — low music
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bass — the fish
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. squash — to crush
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. game — a match
  23. bat — the animal
  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