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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cell — a phone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. face — to confront
  18. bear — the animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pit — in a race
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pit — a hole

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