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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 120 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: temple · suit · saw · bore · calf · fan · stem · tube

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — the underground
  6. suit — clothes
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. suit — to fit
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. tube — a container
  18. bore — to tire
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bore — to drill
  24. suit — in cards

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