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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 124 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. march — the month
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bark — to shout
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. face — to confront
  13. foot — a measure
  14. march — music
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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