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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stand · can · temple · lie · kick · bound · rush · wave

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bound — certain
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — a tin
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bound — tied together
  18. kick — in football
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lie — an untruth

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