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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: court · dip · lie · roll · season · temple · bass · cap

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — of the year
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. court — for sport
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cap — a lid
  13. court — of law
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. court — of a king
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bass — the fish
  22. roll — a list
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bass — low music

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