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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: last · wake · drill · calf · date · tear · court · temple

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. drill — army training
  5. date — the fruit
  6. last — final
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. tear — from crying
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. court — of a king
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wake — a trail
  20. court — for sport
  21. tear — from crying
  22. drill — the tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tear — to rip

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