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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. press — to push
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. press — a publisher
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wax — to grow
  12. face — part of the head
  13. track — a path
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. track — a song
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — to confront
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. press — newspapers

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