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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: lie · temple · pitch · court · mouse · wax · object · rest

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — a thing
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. court — of law
  6. rest — a break
  7. court — for sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitch — completely
  11. object — to protest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. court — of a king
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. object — an aim
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rest — what's left
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rest — what's left

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