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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. current — happening now
  3. field — for sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. field — farmland
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. current — of water
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tube — the underground
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — a subject
  19. current — electric
  20. board — to get on
  21. fork — in a road
  22. board — a committee
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. calf — of the leg

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