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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: drill · calf · row · sharp · mark · temple · bear · bat

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — a line
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bat — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — a trace
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. drill — a practice
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. drill — army training

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