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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mine — for digging
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. toast — bread
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ball — a great time
  15. kick — in football
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mate — a partner
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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