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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — a price
  7. bear — the animal
  8. content — the amount
  9. bear — the animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. date — the fruit
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — in sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ground — a position

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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