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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: lie · can · chest · clip · temple · rush · ruler · mate

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rush — hurry
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chest — of your body
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. can — a tin
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chest — a box
  23. mate — a partner
  24. clip — to cut

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