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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. spring — the season
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ball — a great time
  11. last — finally
  12. mate — a partner
  13. last — to go on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spring — of water
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — a lid
  20. last — final
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. face — to confront

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