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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.

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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: arm · track · temple · present · bowl · club · plane · calf

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a song
  9. present — the time now
  10. club — for dancing
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. present — a gift
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. track — a path
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. club — a group
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. club — for golf
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. plane — in geometry

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