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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: staff · coach · clip · lash · face · lie · rule · temple

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. staff — employees
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. clip — for paper
  12. face — to confront
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. clip — a video
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rule — to rule out
  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