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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: cue · roll · temple · net · lash · bulb · cell · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cell — in biology
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cell — a phone
  5. kick — in football
  6. cue — a signal
  7. net — for catching
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — in sport
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cue — for pool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. net — after costs
  20. cue — a hint
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. roll — a list

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