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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cap — a hat
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. court — of law
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. court — of a king
  14. cap — of ice
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. face — to point toward
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. face — part of the head
  22. court — for sport
  23. face — to confront
  24. mark — a trace

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