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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: key · craft · bark · rush · calf · face · chest · temple

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chest — of your body
  5. craft — boats
  6. chest — a box
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rush — hurry
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bark — to shout
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — in music
  14. craft — a skill
  15. face — part of the head
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. key — the most important part
  20. face — to point toward
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. temple — side of the head

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