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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. firm — steady
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. firm — a company
  8. wound — an injury
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. date — the fruit
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bound — tied together
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. firm — decided
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — an injury

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