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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · key · lie · sharp · chip · face · field · temple

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. chip — to eat
  3. field — for sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. face — to point toward
  9. sharp — clever
  10. field — a subject
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. field — farmland
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. key — the most important part
  24. face — part of the head

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