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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · stand · wound · foot · ball · deal · season · temple

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. lie — to recline
  3. season — of the year
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ball — a great time
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ball — a dance
  21. season — in sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. foot — a measure

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