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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — the cause
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. drill — army training
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bat — the animal
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. root — of a word
  21. roll — a list
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bat — in an idiom

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