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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — in music
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. net — for catching
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — after costs
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stock — goods
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stock — shares
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. net — in sport
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. key — for a lock

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