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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — a container
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. march — music
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mine — for digging
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rock — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rock — a stone
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. tube — the underground
  23. march — the month
  24. dip — a sauce

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