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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: fall · chip · march · bear · pit · lie · temple · ground

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. march — the month
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. march — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fall — to drop
  16. march — the month
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — a position
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chip — to eat
  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