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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.

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: spell · hide · kid · stock · kick · temple · pitcher · lean

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — magic
  7. stock — shares
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kid — child
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stock — goods
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — thin
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. spell — letters
  22. kid — to tease
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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