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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. spell — letters
  5. lie — to recline
  6. key — the most important part
  7. spell — magic
  8. key — for a lock
  9. snap — to click
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fall — to drop
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — in music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fall — the season
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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