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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · swing · rest · track · temple · tube · pitcher · calf

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — the underground
  6. track — a path
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — a container
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rest — what's left
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. track — a song
  19. swing — to play on
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — a break
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — a jug

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