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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
468
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: bound · snap · temple · lie · hand · cabinet · plane · present

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lie — to recline
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bound — certain
  7. present — a gift
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. present — the time now
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — tied together
  14. present — there
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bound — obliged
  17. hand — help
  18. snap — to click
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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