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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: shower · face · present · temple · craft · safe · drill · lie

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. craft — boats
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. craft — a skill
  5. face — to confront
  6. lie — to recline
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. present — a gift
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. present — the time now
  14. shower — rain
  15. drill — army training
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. shower — to wash
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — there

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