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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: temple · tube · suit · calf · snap · mine · pitch · trunk

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pitch — completely
  7. suit — to fit
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mine — for digging
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mine — belonging to me

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