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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. current — of water
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. current — electric
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. current — happening now
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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