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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. game — a match
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. game — wild animals
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. face — to confront
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — to point toward
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. field — farmland
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bank — for money

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