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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 · pop · snap · ground · wave · kid · craft · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pop — soda
  3. craft — boats
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. ground — crushed
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pop — to visit
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. snap — to click
  17. ground — a position
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pop — music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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