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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. suit — clothes
  24. temple — side of the head

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