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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: bowl · calf · snap · coach · dip · temple · bark · wave

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bark — to shout
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. snap — to click
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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