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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. degree — from a university
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. present — there
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bear — the animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. face — to confront
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. present — a gift
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. present — the time now
  24. nail — for a hammer

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