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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 120 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: file · temple · cell · racket · kick · wound · safe · lash

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cell — a phone
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cell — in biology
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. cell — in a prison

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