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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: hide · lie · root · pass · court · chest · mug · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mug — to rob
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mug — a cup
  5. root — of a word
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. root — the cause
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pass — a permit
  13. court — for sport
  14. chest — a box
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mug — a face
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — to succeed

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