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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — an illness

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