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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: race · temple · stick · tube · band · calf · wound · saw

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. tube — a container
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. race — a contest
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — the underground
  13. race — humankind
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a music group
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. band — a ring
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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