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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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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: pop · club · temple · kick · lie · stock · cell · lean

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stock — goods
  4. club — a group
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stock — shares
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pop — soda
  12. kick — in football
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pop — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. cell — a phone
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lie — to recline

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