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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kid · object · calf · row · leaves · plane · march · temple

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. march — the month
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. kid — to tease
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — to protest
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. march — music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. kid — child
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. march — the month
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. row — to paddle
  18. object — an aim
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. row — a line
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — a young animal

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