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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. lie — to recline
  3. spring — of water
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. shower — rain
  8. spring — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. net — for catching
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — after costs
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitch — completely
  16. face — to confront
  17. net — in sport
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. face — to point toward
  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