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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hand — in cards
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. drill — army training
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hand — help
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. drill — a practice

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