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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. track — a song
  3. club — a group
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rock — a stone
  6. face — to confront
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — a path
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — for golf
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — music
  14. club — for dancing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. track — to keep track

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