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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: cell · temple · lie · kick · foot · roll · craft · pitch

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. roll — a list
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — in football
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. craft — boats
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cell — in biology
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. kick — a thrill

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