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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: face · vault · temple · lie · pitch · date · kid · stick

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. kid — to tease
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitch — completely
  15. kid — child
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. face — to confront
  24. date — the fruit

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