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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spell — letters
  6. club — a group
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. mark — a trace
  10. club — for golf
  11. fall — to drop
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. field — farmland
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — a short time
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — magic
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. club — for dancing
  24. field — for sport

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