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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
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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: staff · calf · file · cell · temple · sharp · content · cue

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. file — a line of people
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — happy
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a document
  11. cell — in biology
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cue — a signal
  17. file — a tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. staff — a stick
  21. content — the amount
  22. staff — employees
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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