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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rest — a break
  8. last — to go on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. court — of a king
  12. rest — what's left
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fine — high quality
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fine — all right
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. court — of law
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. court — for sport

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