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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lean — to bend
  4. capital — a city
  5. track — a song
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — rain
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. dip — to sink
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lean — thin
  15. track — a path
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. capital — money
  18. face — part of the head
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. face — to confront
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to point toward

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