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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fork — in a road
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. court — of a king
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. court — for sport
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bat — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. court — of law
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bass — low music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — to confront
  24. bass — the fish

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