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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rush — hurry
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pound — a weight
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. face — to confront

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