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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lean — to bend
  3. face — to point toward
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. current — electric
  10. face — to confront
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bore — to tire
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bore — to drill
  21. vault — a safe
  22. lean — thin
  23. current — happening now
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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