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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 120 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. field — for sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. field — a subject
  9. fall — the season
  10. bore — to tire
  11. field — farmland
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — shares
  15. mug — to rob
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stock — goods
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fall — to drop
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mug — a face

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