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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. track — a path
  4. ball — a dance
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lie — to recline
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. plane — a tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — a song
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. saw — the tool

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