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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fine — high quality
  3. track — to keep track
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — all right
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. face — to confront
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. face — part of the head
  24. nail — on a finger

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