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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: racket · rest · chair · calf · hand · temple · leaves · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rest — a break
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. can — to be able to
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. can — a tin
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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