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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spell — magic
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. season — of the year
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. spell — letters
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rule — a law
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. season — in sport
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kid — child
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rule — government
  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