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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. squash — the sport
  5. chest — of your body
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chest — a box
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — the vegetable

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