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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: face · drill · straw · pass · calf · chest · temple · sharp

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. drill — the tool
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chest — of your body
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. drill — a practice
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. drill — army training
  10. face — part of the head
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. face — to confront
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. sharp — clever

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