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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — a thing
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — the earth
  9. object — an aim
  10. last — to go on
  11. ground — a position
  12. fine — all right
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — for a lock
  17. last — final
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ground — crushed
  21. last — finally
  22. key — the most important part
  23. object — to protest
  24. key — in music

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