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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 · stock · temple · race · face · present · fine · patient

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — all right
  6. race — humankind
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lie — to recline
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. present — a gift
  18. stock — shares
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — goods
  24. face — to point toward

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