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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 124 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — humankind
  3. face — to confront
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. face — part of the head
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fall — the season
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. wind — moving air
  11. content — happy
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — a price
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. charge — in control
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. perch — the fish
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. content — the amount

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