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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: capital · clip · bass · lean · ball · temple · staff · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lean — to bend
  3. clip — for paper
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. staff — employees
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. capital — money
  10. lean — thin
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. clip — to cut
  18. capital — a city
  19. clip — a video
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ball — a dance
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lie — an untruth

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