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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.

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 · last · straw · court · stand · club · spell · temple

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. last — final
  5. spell — magic
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spell — a short time
  9. last — finally
  10. court — for sport
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spell — letters
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stand — to bear
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. court — of law
  20. last — to go on
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — of a king

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