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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 120 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: object · safe · lie · snap · present · hand · last · temple

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — help
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. object — a thing
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. last — final
  11. object — to protest
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. last — finally
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. last — to go on
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lie — to recline
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — there
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. object — an aim
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. snap — to click

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