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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — in sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rush — hurry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. face — to confront
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. net — for catching
  11. face — to point toward
  12. net — after costs
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mug — a face
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. temple — side of the head

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