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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: face · fine · lie · saw · coach · temple · bass · race

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — the arms race
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — low music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — high quality
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — a contest
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. saw — the tool
  15. face — part of the head
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bass — the fish
  18. face — to confront
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fine — all right
  21. lie — to recline
  22. race — humankind
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fine — a penalty

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