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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: rule · calf · temple · can · bore · fall · wind · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bore — to tire
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rule — government
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rule — a law
  15. fall — the season
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — a tin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — a tin
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — to be able to

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