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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ball — a great time
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. face — part of the head
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. ball — a dance
  14. face — to point toward
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. face — to confront
  24. sharp — clever

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