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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: ground · leaves · temple · lie · rest · squash · kick · bowl

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rest — a break
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. kick — in football
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rest — what's left
  24. leaves — of a tree

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