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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
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: last · tube · stock · hide · date · bear · temple · calf

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. last — finally
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. last — to go on
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stock — shares
  15. date — the fruit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. last — final
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. tube — a container
  20. stock — goods
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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