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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. track — a path
  3. face — to confront
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. face — part of the head
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — a match
  9. kick — in football
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — army training
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. track — to keep track
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. face — to point toward
  18. track — a song
  19. plane — a tool
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. drill — the 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