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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: staff · court · calf · prune · temple · chest · rule · rock

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. court — for sport
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. staff — a stick
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. prune — to trim
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. chest — a box
  13. staff — employees
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rule — a law
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  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