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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. foot — a measure
  9. drill — a practice
  10. net — after costs
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. drill — army training
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. net — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. face — to confront
  20. net — for catching
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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