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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ground — a position
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ground — crushed
  19. face — to confront
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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