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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: field · toast · calf · chair · ground · file · temple · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — a position
  4. file — a document
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. field — for sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. field — farmland
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ground — crushed
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chair — a leader
  19. file — a tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. field — a subject
  24. temple — a place of worship

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