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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rock — a stone
  3. clip — a video
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rock — music
  6. shower — rain
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. clip — for paper
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. clip — to cut
  15. fine — all right
  16. shower — to wash
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. board — to get on
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. board — a committee
  24. cell — a phone

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