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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 trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. spell — magic
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. band — a ring
  15. spell — letters
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. track — a path
  20. spell — a short time
  21. band — a music group
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. track — a song
  24. temple — a place of worship

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