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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lie — to recline
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mark — a grade
  11. current — of water
  12. mark — a trace
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — a price
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. current — electric
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. current — happening now
  23. rest — a break
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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