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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. field — farmland
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. clip — for paper
  6. object — to protest
  7. drill — army training
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. field — a subject
  13. object — a thing
  14. clip — a video
  15. field — for sport
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mark — a trace
  18. drill — the tool
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. object — an aim
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a grade

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