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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. roll — a list
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cell — in biology
  11. kick — in football
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. chest — a box
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bore — to tire

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