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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. deal — to handle
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. dip — to sink
  11. firm — decided
  12. prune — to trim
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. face — to confront
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. game — a match
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. calf — a young animal

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