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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — electric
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. current — of water
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lie — to recline
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — happening now
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wake — a trail
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — in a race
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. perch — the fish
  24. roll — a list

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