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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bound · cue · net · lean · pitcher · cell · plane

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cue — a signal
  4. net — in sport
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lean — thin
  8. bound — tied together
  9. net — for catching
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bound — certain
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. net — after costs
  21. cue — for pool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bound — obliged

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