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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — of water
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ball — a great time
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lie — to recline
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ball — a dance
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. band — a music group
  13. stem — to come from
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a ring
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. current — electric
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. current — happening now

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