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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. spell — magic
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spell — letters
  11. court — of a king
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. court — for sport
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. game — wild animals
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. court — of law
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wound — an injury
  24. game — a match

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