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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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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 · drill · calf · temple · object · trunk · cold · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cold — an illness
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. track — a path
  10. drill — the tool
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. track — to keep track
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. object — a thing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. object — an aim
  23. track — a song
  24. object — to protest

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