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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: lie · bear · roll · wind · temple · wound · pit · kid

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — to tease
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bear — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pit — a hole
  17. roll — a list
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. kid — child
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — a cake
  24. lie — to recline

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