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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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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: calf · foot · temple · bowl · snap · leaves · scale · lie

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. snap — to click
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lie — to recline
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. scale — in music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. foot — a measure
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. scale — size or range
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. foot — part of the body

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