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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. chest — a box
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lie — to recline
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. field — for sport

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