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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: temple · nail · trunk · deal · content · calf · stand · mug

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mug — a cup
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mug — a face
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. content — happy
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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