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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: lie · temple · bowl · fall · calf · fan · chip · mine

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fall — the season
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mine — for digging
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chip — for betting
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bowl — a football final

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