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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. court — of law
  5. swing — in golf
  6. court — of a king
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — to confront
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bank — for money
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. swing — to play on
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — not warm
  22. swing — music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — for money

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