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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 ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rest — a break
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. court — of law
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cold — an illness
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cold — not warm
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. court — of a king
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. court — for sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — to recline

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