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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: bass · cell · toast · temple · net · content · bore · kick

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bass — low music
  5. content — happy
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. net — after costs
  8. kick — in football
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. content — the amount
  13. cell — a phone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. toast — bread
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bore — to tire
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. net — in sport

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