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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.

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: pitcher · kick · staff · cue · temple · plane · bass · kid

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kid — child
  6. plane — a tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. staff — employees
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. kick — in football
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. staff — employees
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cue — a hint

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