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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: ball · bear · snap · staff · mark · temple · face · lie

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ball — a dance
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. face — to confront
  15. staff — employees
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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