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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: calf · temple · roll · game · foot · rash · hand · cap

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. hand — help
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rash — a series
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cap — of ice
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. hand — in cards
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. cap — a lid
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. foot — a measure

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