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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. deal — to handle
  10. root — the cause
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. root — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. face — to confront
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. row — a line
  19. face — to point toward
  20. row — to paddle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. root — of a word

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