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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: face · kid · file · calf · cell · tube · can · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. kid — child
  3. file — a line of people
  4. face — part of the head
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. file — a tool
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. file — a document
  12. can — a tin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cell — in biology
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. can — to be able to
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. face — to confront
  20. can — a tin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. cell — a phone
  24. tube — the underground

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