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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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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: temple · foot · chip · calf · last · bay · land · bowl

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. land — to come down
  4. last — finally
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. last — final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — a country
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. last — to go on
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. temple — a place of worship

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