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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. game — a match
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — electric
  11. row — to paddle
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. game — wild animals
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — a line
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — happening now

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