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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. roll — a cake
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. face — part of the head
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. key — in music
  16. roll — a list
  17. key — the most important part
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stock — goods
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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