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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: lash · temple · wind · bowl · cue · file · mark · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. file — a tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mark — a grade
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. file — a document
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. calf — a young animal

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