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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. spell — letters
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. key — in music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. vault — a safe
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. face — to confront
  10. spell — a short time
  11. drill — army training
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wax — to grow
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. spell — magic
  22. foot — a measure
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wax — in the ear

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