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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: bulb · capital · foot · calf · degree · ball · face · temple

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ball — a great time
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. face — to confront
  10. ball — a dance
  11. degree — an amount
  12. capital — a city
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. degree — from a university
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. degree — temperature
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. capital — money
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. face — to point toward

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