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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 120 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: bowl · staff · fall · cell · safe · field · temple · foot

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. field — farmland
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. staff — employees
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — a subject
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. field — for sport
  12. cell — a phone
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fall — the season
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bowl — to roll

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