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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chest — of your body
  6. band — a ring
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. band — a music group
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chest — a box
  18. staff — employees
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kid — child
  24. staff — a stick

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