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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: stock · temple · lash · lie · patient · march · degree · content

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stock — goods
  5. content — the amount
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. degree — from a university
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — the month
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. content — happy
  19. march — music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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