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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — to go on
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rule — government
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bound — obliged
  12. last — final
  13. cell — in biology
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bound — tied together
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. last — finally
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rule — a law
  24. bound — certain

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