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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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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 · mouse · cell · kick · game · pitch · bore · hide

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bore — to drill
  4. kick — in football
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. game — a match
  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