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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — of law
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. court — for sport
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lie — to recline
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. court — of a king
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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