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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: field · temple · jam · land · ball · face · calf · trunk

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. land — to come down
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. land — ground
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. face — part of the head
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. face — to confront
  16. ball — a great time
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. land — a country
  22. field — farmland
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. face — to point toward

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