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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: mark · file · calf · temple · deal · staff · mug · content

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. content — happy
  8. mark — a grade
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. file — a tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mark — a trace
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. file — a document
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. deal — to handle
  24. staff — a stick

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