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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cap — a lid
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cap — a hat
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. face — to confront
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ground — the earth
  10. sharp — clever
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a match
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — of ice
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. kick — in football
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. face — part of the head

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