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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.

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: cap · lie · row · mug · arm · ground · temple · mine

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. row — a line
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cap — a lid
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — crushed
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mug — a face
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mug — a cup
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mine — an explosive

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