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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. face — to point toward
  4. last — finally
  5. swing — to play on
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — part of the head
  8. can — a tin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pound — a weight
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. face — to confront
  22. swing — music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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