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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.

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: march · temple · calf · lash · trunk · game · pound · ball

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pound — a weight
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. game — a match
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. march — the month
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. march — music
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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