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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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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: court · capital · lie · pass · fine · face · stand · temple

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — for sport
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fine — all right
  10. face — to point toward
  11. court — of law
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. face — to confront
  16. court — of a king
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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