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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: rest · face · bore · game · bass · calf · band · temple

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — low music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rest — a break
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a music group
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bass — the fish
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. game — wild animals
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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