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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. present — a gift
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. dip — to sink
  5. present — the time now
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mate — to breed
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. present — there
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. temple — a place of worship

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