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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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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: season · kick · pound · wind · plane · bank · temple · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bank — of a river
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bank — for money
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. season — in sport
  16. pound — a weight
  17. kick — in football
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bank — for money

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