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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 120 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: temple · content · arm · kick · lie · coach

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. content — happy
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. content — the amount
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kick — in football
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kick — a thrill

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