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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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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: temple · bulb · hand · cabinet · last · arm · calf · fan

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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 — of the leg
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — help
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. last — finally
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — a part of something
  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