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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pop — music
  5. pit — in a race
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — tied together
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bound — obliged
  19. face — to point toward
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bound — certain
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. temple — a place of worship

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