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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. can — a tin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. face — to confront
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. face — to point toward
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stand — to bear
  24. sharp — clever

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