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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: chair · mate · ball · craft · temple · lie · hide · toast

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. craft — boats
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mate — to breed
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. ball — a dance
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. toast — bread
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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