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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: cell · temple · kick · kid · cue · arm

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. kick — in football
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. kid — child
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kid — to tease
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cell — a phone
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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