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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bank — for money
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. snap — to click
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. degree — temperature
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. degree — from a university
  19. sharp — clever
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. degree — an amount

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