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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. board — a committee
  9. foot — a measure
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. suit — to fit
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pound — a weight
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wind — moving air

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