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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. swing — to play on
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. present — a gift
  10. swing — music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. face — to confront
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. face — to point toward
  15. present — there
  16. face — part of the head
  17. present — the time now
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. plane — in geometry

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