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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cold — an illness
  6. face — part of the head
  7. season — of the year
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cold — not warm
  10. season — in sport
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. face — to confront
  14. net — after costs
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. key — in music
  21. net — for catching
  22. mark — a grade
  23. net — in sport
  24. mark — a trace

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