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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. face — to confront
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. game — wild animals
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a match
  11. bear — the animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bear — the animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. race — humankind
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. race — a contest
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. race — the arms race
  24. snap — to click

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