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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: lie · spring · chair · rock · craft · present · temple · row

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rock — music
  3. present — there
  4. spring — of water
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spring — the season
  8. row — to paddle
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lie — to recline
  13. present — the time now
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. present — a gift
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chair — a leader
  19. spring — a coil
  20. row — a line
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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