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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 120 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: face · club · cabinet · calf · stock · patient · temple · swing

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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 — of the leg
  3. face — to confront
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. face — part of the head
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. club — a group
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. swing — to play on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. swing — in golf
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — goods
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — music
  24. club — for golf

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