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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. cell — a phone
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. capital — a city
  5. last — to go on
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. lean — to bend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — finally
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. face — to point toward
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — thin
  14. cell — in biology
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. face — part of the head
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. last — final
  21. plane — a tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. capital — money
  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