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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. tear — to rip
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. kick — in football
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. face — to confront
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. squash — to crush
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. squash — the vegetable

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