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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · shower · pop · straw · calf · jam · kick · net

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. net — after costs
  4. pop — soda
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. net — for catching
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kick — in football
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. shower — rain
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. net — in sport

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