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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rule — government
  5. sharp — clever
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ground — the earth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ground — a position
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rule — a law
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cap — a lid

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