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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: hand · key · cap · foot · toast · temple · rule · lie

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hand — help
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rule — government
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. toast — bread
  9. rule — a law
  10. hand — in cards
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cap — a lid
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — for a lock

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