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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lie — to recline
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — a division
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wax — to grow
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — a young 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