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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wake — a trail
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. present — there
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. row — a line
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. suit — in cards
  21. roll — a cake
  22. present — the time now
  23. suit — clothes
  24. roll — a list

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