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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: court · lie · temple · kid · lash · cabinet · ball · hide

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. court — for sport
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — of law
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. court — of a king
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. kid — child
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — to lash out

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