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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cap — a lid
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cap — a hat
  9. object — a thing
  10. swing — music
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. object — to protest
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fine — all right
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. face — part of the head
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. object — an aim

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