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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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468
Word bank
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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — money
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fork — in a road
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. root — the cause
  18. capital — a city
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. racket — for tennis

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