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

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. drill — a practice
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. drill — army training
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. drill — the tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pass — a permit
  22. perch — the fish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. perch — for a bird

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