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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — a trail
  3. net — in sport
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. scale — in music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. net — for catching
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wind — moving air
  19. net — after costs
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. date — the fruit

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