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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: rock · calf · pop · temple · arm · present · race · shower

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rock — music
  10. present — a gift
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. race — a contest
  14. shower — rain
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pop — soda
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. arm — a part of something

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