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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — music
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. can — a tin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. face — to point toward
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wake — a trail
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. face — part of the head
  16. club — for golf
  17. can — a tin
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pop — soda

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