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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: temple · kick · rash · key · pit · drill · stem · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. key — in music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pit — in a race
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. kick — in football
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rash — a series
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. key — the most important part
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rash — hasty
  15. key — for a lock
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stem — to come from
  22. band — a ring
  23. drill — army training
  24. temple — a place of worship

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