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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spring — of water
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. spring — the season
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. present — there
  15. track — a song
  16. lie — to recline
  17. present — a gift
  18. spring — a coil
  19. present — the time now
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. track — a path
  24. wave — with your hand

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