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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chest — a box
  4. rash — a series
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — of your body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rash — hasty
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chest — of your body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — the fruit
  24. racket — a loud noise

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