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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. squash — the sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. suit — to fit
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. present — there
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. band — a music group
  16. present — a gift
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — in cards
  21. present — the time now
  22. suit — clothes
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bowl — a football final

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