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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: track · safe · pop · ground · land · calf · spell · temple

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — ground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — a path
  9. spell — magic
  10. track — to keep track
  11. ground — the earth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ground — crushed
  14. land — to come down
  15. spell — letters
  16. pop — to visit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. track — a song
  20. land — a country
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — music
  24. spell — a short time

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