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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: temple · cell · mark · staff · rest · lean · ball · content

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cell — in biology
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mark — a grade
  13. staff — employees
  14. cell — a phone
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. content — happy
  19. rest — a break
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. staff — a stick
  22. content — the amount
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mark — a trace

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