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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. face — to point toward
  12. scale — in music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — tied together
  17. face — to confront
  18. scale — size or range

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