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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. staff — a stick
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. face — to confront
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. staff — employees
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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