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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — a division
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — a container
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. march — music
  24. branch — of a bank

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