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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. branch — a division
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. tear — to rip
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tear — from crying
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rush — hurry

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