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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: kick · pit · temple · straw · ball · mark · bore · stem

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bore — to drill
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bore — to tire
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stem — to come from
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mark — a trace

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