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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. face — to confront
  6. kick — in football
  7. spell — magic
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mate — a partner
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mate — a friend

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