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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rock — music
  3. field — a subject
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. field — farmland
  6. lie — to recline
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stand — to bear
  12. field — for sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kick — in football
  19. mark — a grade
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fall — the season
  24. lie — an untruth

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