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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. swing — in golf
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. swing — to play on
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. swing — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lean — thin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lean — to bend

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