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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. press — to push
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wax — to grow
  12. object — an aim
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. object — a thing
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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