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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: club · temple · key · kick · hide · mine · arm · pass

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. club — for golf
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. club — for dancing
  5. key — for a lock
  6. club — a group
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. key — in music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. kick — in football
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pass — a permit
  24. kick — with a leg

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