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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · kid · calf · ruler · hide · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. kid — child
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. row — a line
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — to tease

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