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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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. bark — to shout
  5. face — to confront
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bank — of a river
  15. suit — clothes
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bank — for money
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bowl — to roll

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