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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. current — of water
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — electric
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cold — an illness
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. lie — to recline
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — of a king
  24. current — happening now

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