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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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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. face — to point toward
  5. squash — the sport
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. net — for catching
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. face — to confront
  12. net — after costs
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bound — tied together
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — a path
  18. squash — the vegetable

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