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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. land — ground
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. squash — to crush
  11. land — a country
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. land — to come down
  14. squash — the sport
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. face — to confront

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