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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: row · lie · temple · hand · deal · foot · clip · pass

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. clip — a video
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — to cut
  13. hand — help
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. foot — a measure
  18. row — to paddle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. hand — in cards

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