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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: arm · calf · temple · face · spell · rush · can · ruler

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. can — to be able to
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — to confront
  15. spell — magic
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — letters
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — of the leg

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