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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: cabinet · kick · temple · lie · mine · fork · spell · stand

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. spell — letters
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spell — magic
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kick — in football
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cabinet — ministers

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