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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. face — part of the head
  5. scale — in music
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. scale — size or range
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. row — a line
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — a tool
  13. swing — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. swing — to play on
  23. face — to confront
  24. swing — in golf

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