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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. face — part of the head
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — to confront
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — a path
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. arm — a part of something

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