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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: kick · temple · mug · lean · content · firm · swing · pitch

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mug — a face
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. firm — decided
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lean — to bend
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. content — happy
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mug — a cup
  13. swing — to play on
  14. content — the amount
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. swing — music

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