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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.

Make a worksheet

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: clip · key · temple · field · game · lie · craft · row

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. field — farmland
  6. key — in music
  7. row — a line
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. craft — a skill
  10. row — to paddle
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. field — a subject
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — to cut
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. field — for sport
  18. game — a match
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. clip — a video
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. craft — boats
  23. game — wild animals
  24. clip — for paper

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