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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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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: kick · temple · lean · band · cue · roll · deal · present

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. present — there
  3. lean — to bend
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. band — a music group
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. band — a ring
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. present — the time now
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lean — thin
  13. roll — a list
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cue — a hint
  20. present — a gift
  21. cue — for pool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. deal — to handle

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