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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bank — for money
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. row — a line
  19. scale — size or range
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. scale — in music
  24. bear — the animal

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