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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mine — for digging
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. season — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. season — of the year
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. roll — a cake
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ball — a great time
  22. roll — a list
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mine — belonging to me

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