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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: rest · bass · temple · bore · bat · deal · foot · calf

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. calf — a young animal
  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