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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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468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pit — a hole
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. club — a group
  12. bear — the animal
  13. file — a document
  14. court — for sport
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bear — the animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. court — of a king
  21. pit — in a race
  22. club — for golf
  23. court — of law
  24. file — a tool

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