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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. staff — a stick
  10. band — a music group
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — clothes
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. staff — employees
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. suit — in cards
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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