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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — to recline
  4. content — happy
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pop — soda
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. content — the amount
  15. pop — to visit
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. row — a line
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — an injury

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