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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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. temple — side of the head
  4. firm — steady
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. firm — a company
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stock — goods
  11. can — a tin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — shares
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. can — to be able to
  16. firm — decided
  17. lie — to recline
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. face — to confront
  21. can — a tin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — a sauce

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