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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. face — to point toward
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. court — of law
  5. face — to confront
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. court — of a king
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. face — part of the head
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

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