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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: season · kid · board · calf · temple · tube · band · game

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. 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. season — to add flavour
  2. game — a match
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. kid — child
  6. tube — a container
  7. game — wild animals
  8. board — to get on
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. band — a music group
  18. board — a committee
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. season — in sport
  21. band — a ring
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. 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