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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · bass · ground · temple · content · calf · fan · wind

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. content — the amount
  13. wind — moving air
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bass — the fish
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. content — happy
  22. ground — a position
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bass — the instrument

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