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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. face — to confront
  5. foot — a measure
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. band — a ring
  19. branch — a division
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. face — part of the head
  23. band — a music group
  24. net — after costs

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