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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kid · foot · temple · field · roll · pitcher · charge · lie

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — in control
  6. field — a subject
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kid — to tease
  12. charge — a price
  13. foot — a measure
  14. roll — a list
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. field — farmland
  18. roll — a cake
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. field — for sport
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pitcher — a jug

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