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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bear — the animal
  8. face — to confront
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. face — to point toward
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. spring — a coil
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wind — moving air

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