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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. net — in sport
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fall — to drop
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — to go on
  16. net — for catching
  17. last — final
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — to grow
  22. net — after costs
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bear — the animal

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