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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: net · band · cell · date · bore · fan · calf · temple

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bore — to tire
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a ring
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in biology
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — gave birth

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