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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: bear · calf · temple · dip · present · pit · spring · rule

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spring — of water
  3. present — a gift
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. spring — the season
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bear — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spring — a coil
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. present — the time now
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pit — a hole
  20. present — there
  21. pit — in a race
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rule — government

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