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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spell — letters
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. firm — a company
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. hand — help
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hand — in cards
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rash — hasty
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. spell — magic

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