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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. shower — rain
  3. present — there
  4. roll — a list
  5. shower — to wash
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — a gift
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. present — the time now
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ball — a dance
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lie — to recline
  24. roll — a cake

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