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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bear — the animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. game — wild animals
  10. face — to confront
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. game — a match
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. spring — the season
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pitch — completely
  24. calf — of the leg

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