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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wind — moving air
  9. face — to confront
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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