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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: bat · fork · temple · calf · lie · kick · cell · wax

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bat — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wax — for sculpting

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