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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wake — a trail
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. current — happening now
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mug — a face
  13. hand — in cards
  14. last — finally
  15. current — of water
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. current — electric
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hand — help

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