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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. last — finally
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. fine — all right
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. roll — a list
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. present — a gift
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fine — high quality
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. last — to go on
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. last — final
  24. fine — a penalty

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