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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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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: cabinet · temple · mug · lie · pit · mark · face · race

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lie — to recline
  4. face — to confront
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. race — humankind
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mark — a grade
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mug — a face
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. race — a contest
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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