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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.

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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: kid · pit · calf · temple · kick · bass · chair · bore

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bass — low music
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pit — a hole
  17. kick — in football
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pit — in a race

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