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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.

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 · hand · lash · bass · content · present · calf · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bass — the fish
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. can — to be able to
  10. present — there
  11. bass — low music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. present — a gift
  14. content — the amount
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. hand — in cards
  17. can — a tin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — help
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. content — happy
  24. present — the time now

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