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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: rest · lie · nail · club · court · bowl · temple · dip

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rest — a break
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lie — to recline
  13. court — of law
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. court — for sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — of a king
  23. dip — to sink
  24. club — a group

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