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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — the sport
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. snap — to click
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bat — the animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. season — of the year
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bank — of a river
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. season — in sport
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. temple — side of the head

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