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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: game · file · temple · foot · content · kid · pitcher · lie

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kid — child
  13. foot — a measure
  14. game — a match
  15. file — a tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a line of people
  21. content — happy
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. content — videos and posts

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