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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: temple · bark · spring · calf · plane · season · deal · bear

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spring — the season
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bear — the animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. bark — to shout
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. spring — of water
  21. deal — to handle
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. deal — a big deal

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