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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.

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: face · bowl · calf · fan · deal · temple · cue · pitcher

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. deal — to handle
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cue — a hint
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — a supporter

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