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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mate — a friend
  8. field — for sport
  9. rest — a break
  10. field — a subject
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — to confront
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. field — farmland

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