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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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. row — to paddle
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — a friend
  7. can — a tin
  8. bass — low music
  9. can — a tin
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. face — part of the head
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. row — a line
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bass — the fish

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