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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: cap · temple · mate · calf · kick · wax · bowl · wound

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wound — an injury
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mate — a friend
  20. kick — in football
  21. cap — a hat
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — a young animal

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