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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. spring — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. spring — a coil
  14. roll — a list
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rule — government
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rule — a law
  21. spring — of water
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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