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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. perch — the fish
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. race — a contest
  10. kick — in football
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. roll — a cake
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. roll — a list

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