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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rule — government
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — in sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. net — for catching
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rule — a law
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. net — after costs
  21. rush — hurry
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rule — to rule out

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