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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: roll · suit · lie · band · temple · wound · ground · field

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. wound — an injury
  3. ground — a position
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. roll — a list
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wound — an injury
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. field — a subject
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. ground — crushed
  21. roll — a cake
  22. band — a music group
  23. temple — side of the head
  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