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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: tube · wave · sharp · march · temple · calf · field · firm

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. firm — decided
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. march — music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. firm — a company
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. firm — steady
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. field — farmland
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tube — a container

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