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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · cap · calf · temple · plane · pop · racket · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cap — a lid
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — to bend
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pop — to visit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pop — music
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wound — an injury
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wound — an injury

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