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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ground — crushed
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — to recline
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. object — to protest
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. ground — the earth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ground — a position
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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