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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.

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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fall — to drop
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. march — the month
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. face — part of the head
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fall — the season
  16. march — music
  17. track — a song
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. march — the month
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chair — a leader
  22. track — a path
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. calf — a young animal

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