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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: fine · ball · field · kick · arm · shower · cell · temple

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. field — farmland
  3. cell — in biology
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fine — high quality
  15. shower — rain
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. shower — to wash
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kick — in football
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ball — a dance

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