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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: roll · calf · bass · cold · temple · present · racket · stick

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bass — low music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cold — not warm
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. roll — a list
  7. present — there
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. present — the time now
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — an illness
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. roll — a cake
  24. present — a gift

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