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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: lie · lean · temple · face · vault · bay · bowl · track

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lie — to recline
  12. track — a path
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — a song
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. face — to confront
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lean — to bend
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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