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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · temple · bear · cap · field · present

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. field — for sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. present — the time now
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — a gift
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. field — a subject
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. present — there
  16. field — farmland
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cap — a hat

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