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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.

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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: board · present · foot · lie · kid · bass · mouse · temple

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. board — a committee
  3. present — there
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. board — to get on
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. present — a gift
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. foot — a measure
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. present — the time now

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