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

Word bank: rest · lie · vault · temple · chair · face · last · sharp

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. face — to confront
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rest — what's left
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. face — to point toward
  14. last — final
  15. rest — a break
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — clever
  18. face — part of the head
  19. last — finally
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lie — to recline
  24. sharp — with an edge

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