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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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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: face · kick · calf · ruler · prune · wind · temple · rash

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — part of the head
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wind — moving air
  16. face — to confront
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rash — hasty
  19. kick — in football
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. prune — to trim
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rash — a series

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