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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — child
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ball — a dance
  14. kick — in football
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ball — a great time
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. kid — to tease
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. calf — a young animal
  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