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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: foot · cell · pitcher · rock · bound · hide · temple · pit

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bound — certain
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bound — tied together
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cell — a phone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pit — in a race
  24. temple — side of the head

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