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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. firm — decided
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. march — the month
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. firm — a company
  14. lie — to recline
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. firm — steady
  20. pit — a hole
  21. object — a thing
  22. march — the month
  23. ground — a position
  24. object — to protest

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