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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: track · racket · ground · temple · land · calf · saw · fall

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — a country
  6. fall — to drop
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. land — to come down
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. saw — the tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — a position
  17. fall — the season
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fall — to drop
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — the tool
  23. land — ground
  24. ground — the earth

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