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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 · kid · last · mouse · game · bat · calf · lash

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. kid — to tease
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — finally
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. last — to go on
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. game — a match
  21. last — final
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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