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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bass — low music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fall — to drop
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. kid — child
  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