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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: lie · pop · season · temple · cell · calf · cue · wound

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wound — an injury
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pop — music
  10. season — in sport
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cue — for pool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pop — soda
  23. wound — an injury
  24. season — of the year

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