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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bank — of a river
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — of a word
  11. rest — a break
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. plane — a tool
  16. hand — help
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ball — a dance
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. calf — of the leg

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