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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.

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: lie · march · pop · field · temple · rush · toast · bay

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. march — the month
  4. pop — soda
  5. field — a subject
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. field — farmland
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pop — to visit
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lie — to recline
  24. field — for sport

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