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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.

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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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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: temple · ruler · calf · branch · rest · hide · court · squash

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. court — of law
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. court — of a king
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rest — what's left
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. squash — to crush
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. branch — a division
  23. rest — a break
  24. ruler — for measuring

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