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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 trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bark — to shout
  7. field — for sport
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitch — completely
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chip — for betting
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lie — to recline

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